Chamois Butt’r Her

It won't surprise you to learn that Chamois Butt'r Her' is the women's version of the original Chamois Butt'r skin lubricant, which has been soothing and softening men's bits and bottoms since 1993. The Her' cream shares some of the key ingredients such as aloe vera to soothe irritated skin, but is pH balanced specifically for ladies, so you can put it 'everywhere' and there's no tingling sensation (which you may see as a good or bad thing).

Her' is designed to make your rides more comfortable by protecting against chafing, and soothing already irritated skin. It does this by lubricating and softening your skin (it contains shea butter, which is a good moisturiser), and although it makes no claims to be anti-bacterial, Her' does include tea tree oil, which has proven anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties. It also contains lavender oil, and when you first apply the cream there's a faint scent of lavender but this soon disappears.

The directions say: 'Apply liberally to skin and/or chamois before each ride. May be applied to any skin areas that rub together or against clothing.'

Siobhan tested Chamois Butt'r Her' back in 2017 and said it seemed to reduce friction on multi-day rides, the only times she would generally use a chamois cream as she would occasionally get saddle sores. I found the same – but also that because it is non-greasy and absorbs easily, you tend to need to reapply it after about three or four hours in the saddle.

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The plus side to its lighter consistency, compared with some chamois creams – Her' feels like a good-quality hand cream – is that it doesn't make a mess of your chamois pad and washes out very easily. It's formulated to wash out with just soap and water, which is very handy if you're touring and need to wash your shorts by hand in a sink.

I also found it good for post-ride application because of that lighter feel and consistency.

Similar female-specific chamois creams include Assos Chamois Crème Women’s, which seems quite similar in consistency and performance but is slightly more expensive than the Chamois Butt’r at £20 for 200ml.

I tested the Chamois Butt’r alongside Muc-Off’s Athlete Performance Luxury Chamois Cream – Pour Femme. That’s £18 for 100ml, so more than twice the price, but it has a much thicker consistency and I found it needed reapplying less.

Another thing I like about Chamois Butt'r Her' is that it comes in a tube, which feels far more hygienic than dipping your fingers into a pot. The tube is pretty large and heavy so not ideal for carrying on the bike for reapplication on long rides. However, you can buy packs of 9ml single sachets, although these obviously work out more expensive.

Verdict

Non-greasy, fragrance-free and non-tingly cream at a good price, if not that long lasting